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“I wish we had this when we were freshmen.”

That's the overwhelming feeling from the seniors who spoke at our Freshmen Seminar this week. “Freshmen what?” you might be asking yourselves, and the answer is exactly. Freshmen Seminar is not a typical class; It’s a guide to high school success, created from a blend of curriculum and the real-life experiences and advice of students who've been there and done that. It’s a powerful example of how our most seasoned students are stepping up to support the newest members of our community.

At first, our seniors were a bit skeptical. They thought they'd just be “holding hands,” and that the class would be a waste of time. But they quickly realized it was so much more. This was a chance for them to share personal, honest advice you can't get from a textbook. As one senior put it, “This was very personal—it is real people with real experiences and advice for their exact situation.”

“Real Talk” from Our Seniors

The class got right to the point. After a quick introduction, our seniors jumped into a short message on a specific topic, followed by a Q&A session. They shared their own struggles and successes, sharing what they learned about topics like:

• Time Management: Juggling school, extracurricular, and a social life without getting completely buried.
• The Cost of Procrastination: One senior bravely shared how a lack of sleep and less than ideal planning affected them and their trajectory into their future, specifically mentioning that they now have more stress with studying for the SAT than they might have if they had made different choices.
• The Power of Organization: The seniors went beyond the basics. The Student Senate President and other seniors taught freshmen everything from how to keep a binder neat (no more just shoving papers into their backpacks) to creating a focused study space. A freshman mentioned, “I didn't know how much even just having my phone next to me could affect my ability to study and learn well!”
• Balancing Everything: Senior Benson Hayton even talked about one of the specific challenges that students face: wanting to do everything. Senior after senior supported this, emphasizing that the freshmen should be aware that there is such a thing as participating in too many things, with one phrase standing out in particular, “Once you figure out school life, you can figure out social life.” 

What really surprised the seniors was how much the freshmen were listening. “Most of them were actually listening, which was pretty surprising,” one senior said. After the talks, the freshmen asked a ton of questions, making the senior presenters feel like their advice was genuinely helpful.

A Teacher's Perspective

Our high school science teacher, Mrs. Brittney Smith, who teaches the class, is just as excited about it as the students. “I love that there is a class that helps set our kids up for success and help them adjust to the transition into high school,” she said. In the past, she tried to fit this type of guidance and skill learning into her biology course, but she loves that there is now a dedicated space to go into more depth.

Even in these early days, the class has created some special and memorable moments. Mrs. Smith’s favorite memory so far was watching students learn how to have respectful discussions. During a debrief, several students mentioned how nice it was to have a discussion where they felt everyone was actually hearing and responding to them, rather than just waiting for their turn to talk. She also loves watching her senior teaching assistants get so invested in the conversations and want to chime in with their own advice.

A Class for Everyone

At the end of the day, it turned out that it wasn't just the freshmen who were learning. As they prepared their talks, the senior speakers were reminded of their own high school journeys. “Me and several other seniors were learning from our talks as we listened and gave them,” one student admitted.

And the freshmen are already putting the advice to the test! One freshman said the class was “very helpful” because the advice came from people who “KNOW” what they're going through, and they decided to skip football this year in favor of getting a strong foundation in academics and music. Zoe, another freshman, believes the class will be helpful “in the long run,” getting her ready for both the rest of high school and college. All the students, seniors and freshmen alike, are hopeful that this will be the first of many classes and experiences that teach them “real-life” skills.

The Freshman Seminar has quickly become something new and exciting on campus. It's a place where students can connect, share wisdom, and give our youngest high school students the tools they need to not just survive high school, but to “own it.” It's one simple example of how our community supports each other and what it means to be a part of something bigger than yourself.